Chapter 1
Prologue
The rebellion that sparked on the southern frontier ignited into a blaze that swept across the empire like a swift, raging wildfire.
The imperial capital fell to the rebel forces, with Emperor August and Crown Prince Fernando falling on the battlefield. The rest of the imperial family and their vassals faced capture and death. Thus the illustrious four-hundred-year-old Ophim Empire came to an end.
In the midst of the chaos, the seventh princess, Sala da Odin, managed to flee the capital. She took refuge in an imperial fortress often referred to as the Old Demon King Castle.Yet, the remnants of the imperial army could not hold out indefinitely against the rebels when they laid siege. It was only a matter of time before it fell.
Trapped, Sala and her trusted companion Livia, decided to take one final, desperate gamble. The quietly slipped away into a secret passageway deep within the castle.
This wasn't your average secret escape passage. One lord who had previous attempted to use this passage had been easily caught and killed by the rebels. Only members of the imperial family knew that it's true exit was the Portal.
The Portal had been created by the first emperor and supposedly opened onto a different world. But that was all that even the imperial family knew.
No one who had gone through the Portal had ever returned. No one truly knew if it led to another world or what, if anything, really lay beyond it.
Sala faced a choice between two great leaps into the unknown—one by the sword, and one by the Portal. Only the Portal offered her any chance of surviving.
Sir! There's something over here!
Shouts and the rumble of soldiers echoed from the far end of the passage. The rebels had breached the secret entrance and were racing toward Sala and Livia.
I shall hold them off here, your highness! Go! Run!
Sala stopped and turned to look back at Livia.
Don't you dare die on me, Livia du Udis!
There was no time for any more words. Sala took off running without a backward glance. Her job was to survive, and the only advantage she had was the slight lead Livia could give her. It didn't matter that Sala was one of the empire's top magic users. All of her abilities were rendered useless by the rebels' anti-magic weapons. Without her magic, she was just an ordinary thirteen-year-old girl. Given that, Livia stood a better chance of surviving without a kid like her to slow them down.
Fare thee well, my princess!
There they are! Imperial dogs!
Hah! You damn traitors! I am Livia du Udis! In the name of the Udis family, defenders of the imperial family for generations. I swear on my name that you shall not pass!
A guardian of the imperial family? That means the other girl must be a royal! Don't let her escape!
Oh! Damn it! They figured it out!
Seriously, Livia! What were you thinking?